Brighton’s Remarkable Triumph
What’s truly remarkable is that Brighton, managed by Roberto De Zerbi, continues to make waves in the Premier League without the luxury of high-priced superstars. Their starting lineup, with a total value of just 18.2 million euros, featured players like Adingra (priced at 8 million euros) and Tariq Lamptey (acquired for a mere 1.2 million euros), who provided two crucial assists. Other Brighton players, such as Mitoma, Veltman, Van Hecke, and Gross, ranged from 1 to 3 million euros. Remarkably, several key Brighton players came either for free or at minimal transfer fees.
Manchester United’s Costly Squad
In contrast, Manchester United, despite missing 11 players for various reasons, boasted a squad valued at a staggering 376 million euros, significantly surpassing Brighton’s lineup in terms of financial prowess. With stars like Onana (52.5 million euros), Dalot (22 million euros), Lindelof (35 million euros), Martinez (57 million euros), Casemiro (70 million euros), Bruno Fernandes (65 million euros), and Hojlund (75 million euros), Manchester United’s squad showcased its financial strength. Notably, four of Manchester United’s key players were either homegrown, acquired for free, or on loan, including Reguilon, Eriksen, McTominay, and Rashford.
Brighton’s Victory Against the Odds
Despite the vast difference in squad values, with Manchester United’s starting lineup worth 20 times more than Brighton’s, the Seagulls convincingly defeated the Red Devils with a scoreline of 3-1.
Eriksen’s Insights and Individual Errors
After the game, midfielder Eriksen addressed Manchester United’s disappointing performance, stating, “We need to look at ourselves. We tried to change a few things tactically, but the result is very disappointing.” Despite playing at Old Trafford, the “Red Devils” conceded an early goal in the 20th minute to Welbeck. Rasmus Hojlund, a 72-million-pound forward, seemed to equalize for Manchester United in the first half, but VAR technology disallowed the goal due to the ball crossing the touchline before Rashford’s assist.
In the second half, Manchester United struggled as Pascal Gross (53rd minute) and substitute Joao Pedro (71st minute) scored consecutively to give Brighton a 3-0 lead. The “Red Devils” managed only a consolation goal from young midfielder Hannibal Mejbri in the 73rd minute.
Analyzing the Loss
Eriksen attributed Manchester United’s defeat to individual errors rather than systemic failures, saying, “Those were individual mistakes. We fell into the offside trap in the Arsenal match, and the same happened today. We scored but had it disallowed due to VAR. Some individual errors, combined with a bit of bad luck, led to our defeat.”
This defeat adds to Manchester United’s upcoming challenges, with a Champions League opener at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena on September 21 looming large.
